Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-16
2004-10-12
Nguyen, Tan Q. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C701S036000, C340S995160, C074S552000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering system for mobile unit having operation means for operating a device such as a personal computer mounted on a mobile unit such as a car on a part of the steering means.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 14
is a schematic view showing a compartment of the conventional vehicle.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, reference numeral
1
denotes an instrument panel provided on the front portion within the compartment,
2
denotes an audio device such as a radio receiver, a cassette deck player or a CD player provided on the instrument panel
1
,
3
denotes a dash board provided on the upper portion in the center of the instrument panel
1
,
4
denotes a steering wheel for steering the car, provided on the right side of the instrument panel
1
, and
5
denotes a front seat, in which a driver's seat
5
a
and an assistant's seat
5
b
are arranged on the left and right sides.
Conventionally, as a main stream, the audio device
2
was installed in the center of the instrument panel
1
, and operated in an operation means arranged around the periphery of the audio device
2
. In recent years, an operation means for operating the audio device or an air conditioner is provided on a part of the steering wheel
4
, in which the driver operates the operation means provided on the steering wheel, while driving the car.
In this background, a word processor for accommodating the operating means is well known as an electronic device as disclosed in JP-A-4-279914, and constructed as shown in FIG.
15
.
FIGS. 15A and 15B
, reference numeral
11
denotes a handle,
12
denotes a keyboard case, and
13
denotes a main case. The main case
13
is formed integrally with the handle
11
and the keyboard case
12
, and has protuberant bearing portions
14
and
15
for supporting the keyboard case
12
to be rotatable with the handle
11
. Also, the handle
11
and the keyboard case
12
are integrally formed, and attached to the main case
13
to be rotatable in a direction of the arrow.
FIG. 15A
is a view showing an accommodated state of the keyboard case
12
, and
FIG. 15B
is a view showing a service state of the keyboard case
12
.
In these figures, when the keyboard case
12
is accommodated, the handle
11
formed integrally with the keyboard case
12
projects from the front face. When the keyboard case
12
is used, the keyboard case
12
is rotated so that the handle
11
is accommodated on a bottom face
11
a
of the main case
13
.
In the conventional construction as above described, to employ the electronic device on a car as a mobile unit, an operation means had to be taken into the mobile unit, whereby it was required to connect the electronic device to display means provided within the car and a power source mounted on the car, or provide a space for disposing the operation means within the car, every time the operation means was employed, resulting in a problem that the user was very inconvenient.
In the conventional mobile unit, the operation means was provided on a part of the steering means for steering the mobile unit, but since there was only a space for providing the operation means on a part around the periphery of the steering means, it was required to select operations of the operation means, resulting in a problem that the operation had a lower degree of freedom.
Conventionally, some mobile units had the operation means for operating the audio device or air conditioner on a part of the steering wheel. However, since the driver could perform the operation without regard to the running condition of the mobile unit, there was a problem that the driver was distracted while driving.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been achieved to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a steering system for mobile unit comprising a steering section for steering a mobile unit by a rotation operation in a first rotation direction, the steering section having operation section for operating a device provided on the mobile unit in one part, and provided to be rotatable respectively in a first and a second rotation directions, and a control section for enabling the mobile unit to be steered when the steering section is rotated in one direction of the second rotation direction and set at a first installed position, and enabling the operation section to operate the device when the steering section is rotated in the other rotation direction and set at a second installed position, whereby the user can use the device without making the settings every time of using the device provided on the mobile unit, and is more expedient.
Also, it is another object of the invention to provide the steering system for mobile unit comprising an installed position detecting section for detecting whether the steering system is set at the first installed position or the second installed position, wherein the control section enables the mobile unit to be steered or the operation section to operate the device, on the basis of a detection of the installed position detecting section, whereby the user can make the operation of the device correctly and the reliability of the device is enhanced.
It is another object of the invention to provide the steering system for mobile unit, wherein the operation section is formed integrally with the steering section, and disposed on the back face of the steering section when the steering section is set at the first installed position, or disposed on the front surface of the steering section when the steering section is set at the second installed position, whereby there is no need for a new space for installing the operation section within the mobile unit, and the degree of freedom for designing is increased.
It is another object of the invention to provide the steering system for mobile unit, further comprising a display section placed near a driver's seat of the mobile unit, and a display control section for displaying the mobile information output from the mobile unit on the display section when the steering section is set at the first installed position, or displaying the output information of the device operated by the operation section provided on the steering section on the display section when the steering section is set at the second installed position, whereby the display unit can be shared without regard to the display contents, and the number of parts and the cost can be reduced.
It is another object of the invention to provide the steering system for mobile unit, wherein the mobile information displayed on the display section when the steering section is set at the first installed position is the operative condition information indicating an operative condition of the mobile unit or the running guide information indicating a running guide of the mobile unit, whereby various pieces of information can be displayed on the shared display unit, and the user is more expedient.
It is another object of the invention to provide the steering system for mobile unit, comprising a running condition judging section for judging a running condition of the mobile unit, wherein an operation of the operation section is invalidated on the basis of a judgment of the running condition judging section, whereby it is judged whether the operation is valid or not depending on the running condition of the mobile unit, and the reliability of the device is enhanced.
Further, it is another object of the invention to provide the steering system for mobile unit, further comprising a running condition judging section for judging a running condition of the mobile unit, a braking condition detecting section for detecting a braking condition of the mobile unit, and a steering position moving section for moving the installed position of the steering section to the first installed position, if the braking condition detecting section detects the braking condition, when the installed position detecting section detects that the steering section is set at
Ieda Masahiro
Kasuga Kei
Kato Shin-ichi
Kitano Toyoaki
Kono Osamu
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Nguyen Tan Q.
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